


Drowning for you

by Arzani



Category: Black Sails
Genre: 4x01 AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, M/M, Multi, background John Silver/Madi - Freeform, in which James dove after John
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 12:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11380233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arzani/pseuds/Arzani
Summary: 4x01 AU in which James jumped after John, when he was dragged into the water.Pain surged through his body when a bullet hit his shoulder, he was thrown back, but he ignored it, pressed forward and jumped. Someone shouted, “What are you doing?” then he was surrounded by cold water.





	Drowning for you

How could this have happened? How had all the success turned into bursting woods, lethal splinters, canons ripping open the Walrus and men needing to flee? They had talked about victory just an hour ago and now, now victory was miles away. He hated it. James fucking hated all of this.

“Abandon ship,” he yelled, with all his voice, to predominate the chaos surrounding him. Them, all of them. “Get off!”

One foot was on the ladder, the other on the railing, and he moved almost automatically, while feeling John’s presence next to him. The man was just a little to his right, having more struggles with climbing down because of his peg leg. Always the damned peg leg. Always a reminder of James’ failure.

He was not completely in the boat, hanging on the ladder, when it happened. The net John was hanging onto was thrown off by the force of another canon. The body splashed into the water, the net dragging him down. Why was he not getting back up? Why was he not surfacing? What was wrong?

With a few swift movements, he was next to Madi, seeing her face, her shock, her worry. And he knew the two were close, he knew what they shared and he understood. Without thinking much about it he reached for his jacket, his eyes never leaving the net that slowly disappeared below the waterline. John must be stuck. There was no way he would let the man drown. No way he would let him die, not now, not like this, not ever.

Bullets surged towards them, and he ducked, cursing under his breath. He didn’t really have time to think, but he knew they had to get away from here. All of them. Lifting his upper body, he was under fire in an instant. Next to him Madi shuddered, cried out. The fucking sloops. Fucking Woods Rogers. John.

“Fire! Get to the eastern shore!” he shouted, and for a moment he searched for Madi’s eyes, saw her despair and something in him clicked. He had not done anything to rescue Thomas. He had left Miranda live in her misery, robbing her of everything she had ever treasured until it had led to her death. And John was young and fierce and James was not ready to make the same mistakes again. Not again. “Get the fuck out of here!”

With those words, he got rid of his jacket and stood. Pain surged through his body when a bullet hit his shoulder, he was thrown back, but he ignored it, pressed forward and jumped. Someone shouted, “What are you doing?” then he was surrounded by cold water.

The bullets were slowed by the water, but he couldn’t avoid another one grazing him, ripping his arm open, before he dived deeper. Where was John?

His head jerked around, his feet pushing him deeper and deeper, his eyes burning from the salt water. It stung, rubble and wood was everywhere but then he saw him. Saw the net, his struggling and his hand reaching for something. Without thinking he swam closer, wished he could shout, but sound was useless under water. It would only cost him his breath. Yet, it seemed John realized him, because his eyes widened and his finger loosened. What slipped out of his fingers seemed to be a knife of some sort. Stupid idiot.

John’s hair was floating above him and his mouth opened. Bubbles surrounded him and if the situation hadn’t been so urgent James would have just shaken him for his stupidity. But instead of grapping his shoulders and pushing him against… something solid, hard, that gave him enough leverage to intimidate, he dove deeper to get his hands around the knife before it was lost taken by the currents.

It took him a moment to find it, covered by sand and slick. It was too much time, as black dots started to dance in front of James’ eyes. His vision blackened, sooner than it should. Why…? But then something red caught the corner of his eyes and he remembered again that he was bleeding. A tiny part of his mind wondered how he could have forgotten something as important. His whole calculation of how much time he had to save John was jumbled. The other just swam, getting closer and closer to John.

There was so much written on John’s face. His eyes were wide, blown black with shock and pain and surprise. His hand had risen, clasped over his mouth and James knew, he just knew John needed air, soon. His free hand reached for the net, cut, tried to get the stuck peg leg off it. When a hand shoved at his shoulder James was suddenly distracted and looked up, into John’s eyes who shook his head.

They didn’t need words. Endless hours on the cliffs had helped to communicate with simple gestures and facial expressions. The way John shook his head, gestured to the surface and pressed him away, it was clear he wanted James to get out of here. But he had no fucking intention to do so. Not without John. Not even as his breath became short and his sight grew less.

With his last strength, he gripped for John’s hand, pushed it away and dragged at his tight. His fingers dug into the flesh while his other hand worked the knife against the rope. And then, finally, the peg leg came off, just for John to release another puff of air. Bubbles danced in front of his eyes, making their way to the waterline. Shit!

Shit, shit, shit.

There was no hesitation in his move. He didn’t even think about it, when he pulled John close, gripped the back of his head and smashed their mouths together. With his tongue, he forced the other man’s mouth open, felt the lips against his, felt his beard scratch over John’s, when he breathed the last of the air in his lungs into John’s. Because he wouldn’t be able to bear it, again, losing the person he loved most. Wouldn’t be able to bear another death of someone close to him. Wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for dragging John into this, after everything.

He was so young. There was a life he could live. Dreams, love. He had Madi. They would survive this war and reign.

It was a firm belief, as he pushed John away from him, up to the surface, while he himself sunk further down. His legs flapped another two times, getting him further from John, hopefully in a way that told him to not fucking come for him as he had after the attack of the warship. This time he sank to safe someone. Not to escape his nightmare. This time it was okay.

In a flash of clarity, he realized he had just kissed John, and while it hadn’t been how James had imagined it, it left him smile. A small thing, but enough to give him peace, before everything went black.


End file.
